A proposal in the North Dakota Legislature seeks to curb underage drinking by cracking down on fake IDs.
A bill Sen. Tim Flakoll plans to sponsor would allow licensed liquor retailers to confiscate fake IDs and require them to turn the IDs over to law enforcement with-in 24 hours.
The goal of the bill is to get the fake IDs off the streets and allow law enforcement to follow up, said Flakoll, R-Fargo.
"It's not a full solution to underage drinking, but it's another piece of the puzzle to really curtail underage drinking in North Dakota," he said.
Cass County Sheriff Paul Laney said many bar owners are already good about turning fake IDs over to law enforcement, but the bill would specifically give bar owners that authority.
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"They're pretty good at turning these over," Laney said. "This just solidifies that."
The bill may also prevent people from using fake IDs if they know they could be turned over to law enforcement, Laney said.
The idea for the bill stemmed from a town hall discussion on underage drinking hosted by North Dakota State University, Flakoll said.
Minnesota's law is similar to what Flakoll is proposing for North Dakota.
Robyn Litke, coordinator for Safe Communities Coalition that seeks to limit youth access to alcohol, said fake IDs have become less of a problem locally.
"We are seeing a lot less fake and false IDs just because the technology has gotten so good," Litke said.
More often, underage drinkers are using a valid ID that belongs to a sibling or friend, Litke said.
The legislative proposal also would allow licensed liquor retailers to confiscate a valid ID that is being used to unlawfully obtain alcoholic beverages.
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Readers can reach Forum reporter Amy Dalrymple at (701) 241-5590
